WO2023006141A1

WO2023006141A1 - Plug receptacle

Info

Publication number: WO2023006141A1
Application number: PCT/DE2022/100508
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luca BALTRUSCHAT
Original assignee: HARTING Electronics GmbH
Priority date: 2021-07-30
Filing date: 2022-07-15
Publication date: 2023-02-02
Also published as: CN117716586A; DE102021119868A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a plug receptacle (1) for a connector socket for recessed installation in a plastic wall (6) and suitable for receiving and screwing to a screw connector to be connected to the connector socket, and also suitable for latching of a latching connector to be connected to the connector socket, the plug receptacle (1) comprising the following: - an internal thread portion (13) having an internal thread for screw connection to an external thread of the screw connector; - an all-round or interrupted inwardly directed latching catch (14) arranged at the plugging end of the internal thread (13) for latching with the latching connector, - the plug receptacle (1) for installation in the plastic wall (6) having a self-tapping external thread (3) and being made of metal.

Description

The invention is based on a socket for a connector socket according to the generic type of independent claim 1.

Furthermore, the invention is based on a connector socket, which has a socket according to claim 1 and also a contact carrier and at least one plug-in contact arranged in the contact carrier.

Furthermore, the invention is based on a circular connector system, having a circular connector and the connector socket according to claim 7.

In addition, the invention is based on a device housing with at least one housing wall, which is made of plastic at least in some areas, and at least one socket built into the housing wall according to claim 1.

Furthermore, the invention is based on a method for producing a device housing with a socket according to claim 1.

Receptacles of this type are required to receive a circular connector and to lock it against unintentional removal.

Said device housing can be part of an electrical device. Such an electrical device can be used, for example, to receive analog and/or digital electrical signals and to process and/or transform and/or forward them. In particular, the electrical device can be a connection box for a data network, particularly preferably a so-called “I/O link module”, which is also referred to as an “I/O connection box”. Such a connection box can be used as a network interface for components connected to it and can also provide a large number of such sockets and/or plug connectors in order to connect the components connected to it, e.g. B. to connect to a data network. The device can connect field devices such as sensors and actuators in particular via its connectors via the data network to a control device, for example.

State of the art

The publication WO 2020/119854 A1 discloses a circular connector system, having a connector socket with a screw and latching mechanism and a circular connector to be plugged in therewith. This system thus provides both a screw connection and a push-pull latch for locking the connector. To this end, it is proposed, inter alia, to arrange the outwardly directed latching hooks of the round connector between its plug-in area and its contact carrier section. On the plug-in side of its internally threaded section, the connector socket has an inwardly directed, circumferential or interrupted detent lug. Thus, the latching arms of the circular connector to be plugged in do not need to reach through the internally threaded section of the connector socket for locking. The locking arms can therefore be designed to be particularly short and strong, and the internal thread of the connector socket can be designed to be continuous, ie not segmented. As a result, the holding force of the respective lock is high and the construction of the circular connector is comparatively simple. The locking arms of the circular connector can be formed during production, for example, on its plastic insulating body and made in one piece with it.

A disadvantage in the production of device housings, in particular the production of connection boxes, has been found that the locking lugs of the connector sockets, which are formed by an undercut on the plug-side, can only be realized with the injection molding technology used for this purpose with considerable effort.

In addition, another disadvantage in this prior art, e.g. B. in tests and simulations, found that in some of these designs, the stability of the locking lug of the connector socket is not always sufficient and / or the dimensions of the locking lug are undesirably large, so consume valuable space inside the connector socket.

The German Patent and Trademark Office has researched the following prior art in the priority application for the present application:

DE 102020 103896 A1, DE 102020 112793 A1, US 7,491,081 B2 and WO 2020/119854 A1.

task

The object of the invention is to specify a receptacle for a connector socket that is easy to manufacture, the receptacle enabling both screw locking and snap-in locking, and its design simplifies the production of a device housing using injection molding technology.

The object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. A receptacle for a connector socket is suitable for flush mounting in a plastic wall, ie a wall made of a plastic material.

The term "sunken installation" is to be understood here and in the following that the socket does not protrude from the plastic wall on the plug-in side in the assembled state. Among other things, this countersunk installation has the advantage of saving space both in the plug-in direction and perpendicular to it, i. H. in the plane of the housing wall.

The plastic wall can be part of a device housing. The plastic wall can be a complete housing wall of the device housing, or at least a partial section of such a housing wall. In particular, the entire device housing can be made of plastic. However, the housing wall must at least be made of plastic in the area in which the socket is installed, i.e. have the said plastic wall in this area, for example. Said device housing can thus consist at least partially, preferably largely and in particular entirely of plastic and can thus be manufactured entirely or partially in an injection molding process. The device housing can, for example, be part of an electrical device, in particular a connection box.

In particular, said plastic wall can have an initially unthreaded installation opening with a cylindrical outer contour for installing the receptacle, the installation opening being surrounded by the plastic material of the plastic wall.

The socket can be screwed into the installation opening of the plastic wall with its self-tapping external thread and a counter-thread in the installation opening, i.e. in the plastic material, surrounding the installation opening. This is also advantageous because it avoids compatibility problems, such as those caused by different types of threads.

On the one hand, the receptacle is suitable for receiving and screwing on a screw connector to be connected to the connector socket, which is particularly characterized in that it has an external thread for this purpose.

On the other hand, the receptacle is also suitable for latching a latching connector to be connected to the connector socket, which latching connector can have several latching hooks—particularly outwards—for this purpose.

The socket has: an internally threaded portion with an internal thread for screwing with the screw connector and in particular with the external thread of said screw connector; a peripheral or interrupted, inwardly directed latching lug arranged on the plug side of the internally threaded section for latching with the latching connector, in particular with said latching hooks of the latching connector, preferably directed outwards.

According to the invention, the socket has a self-tapping external thread for installation in the housing wall of the device housing and is made of metal.

Advantageous configurations of the invention are specified in the dependent claims and the following description. The invention has the advantage that the manufacture of a device housing is simplified by the receptacle.

The invention has the further advantage that the latching lug is particularly stable, in particular due to the metallic material from which it is made, and as a result in particular can withstand particularly high tensile forces.

At the same time, the invention has the further advantage that the socket, and in particular its locking lug, has a particularly compact design.

The production of the device housing is considerably simplified by the use of the plug-in sleeve, since no undercut has to be formed during its production to form the locking lug in the plastic material, in particular in the injection molding process. In particular, such an undercut is, as already mentioned, very difficult to implement in the injection molding process that is customary for this and otherwise very advantageous.

The invention has the additional advantage that the latching lug, in particular in the insertion direction and/or perpendicular thereto, can be made narrow due to its metallic material and nevertheless has a high level of stability. As a result, valuable space is saved within the socket, and thus also in the connector socket of which it is a part, and the desired compact design is made possible. Furthermore, the latching hooks of the latching plug connector to be plugged in with them can also have particularly small dimensions as a result.

A particularly great advantage is that the socket can also be used for the conventional screwing of a screw connector, which in particular is used with the internal thread of the socket has a corresponding external thread, is suitable and also has a particularly high level of stability with regard to this screw connection due to its metallic material.

The invention also has the advantage that the socket can be mounted in the plastic wall of the device housing with its self-tapping external thread with little effort, namely can be screwed self-tapping into the installation opening of the plastic wall, the self-tapping thread of the socket preferably in the plastic material of the plastic wall surrounding the installation opening cuts a counter thread.

It is of particular advantage that the metal from which the socket is made is harder and more resistant than the plastic material of the plastic wall. This not only increases the holding force of the detent, but also considerably facilitates the production of such a device housing equipped with built-in sockets and, in other words, the assembly of such sockets in the said plastic wall of the device housing. The use of the self-tapping thread also means that no union nut is required for screwing on a wall duct with an external thread section protruding from the device housing on the plug-in side. As a result, the socket can be installed completely countersunk in the plastic wall and does not have to, as is usual in the prior art, protrude with an external thread section on the plug side from the housing wall for screwing through a union nut - which is advantageously not required when using said socket. This advantageously saves space and, in particular, a part that can be lost, both in the insertion direction and perpendicular thereto. A further advantage of the countersunk installation of the socket also results from the usual application practice of the connection boxes already mentioned, which are also known to the person skilled in the automation technology as so-called “I/O boxes”. In this technical field, it has long been customary to identify built-in sockets according to their respective function (inputs, outputs, looped-through signals, etc.) and to recognize whether they are built in countersunk or not. So far, this has not been a problem for pure screw connectors. In connection with modern snap-in connectors, in particular so-called "push-pull connectors", i.e. snap-in connectors that can be unlocked by pulling an unlocking sleeve, new challenges arise from the additional desire for downward compatibility to the previous screw locks from the need for countersunk installation, which are caused by the already mentioned Advantages of the socket can be solved particularly advantageously.

For such a countersunk built-in socket / connector socket, the particularly convenient use of a so-called "inverse push-pull" latching connector, which is also referred to in the professional world as a "push-pull connector with internal locking", is therefore possible in this technical field . Such an inverse push-pull connector engages with its latching hooks from the inside into the receptacle/connector socket and latches onto it from the inside, with the latching hooks of the latching plug usually being directed outwards. In particular, the push-pull latching connector has an unlocking sleeve. When it is pulled, the unlocking sleeve can bend inwardly the latching arms belonging to the latching connector with the latching hooks formed thereon in order to separate the latching hooks from the respective counter-latching element, in the present case from the latching lug, and thus to unlock the connector. Furthermore, it is advantageous that the socket has a shielding effect against external electrical and/or magnetic fields due to its metallic material. In particular, it shields the plug contacts arranged or to be arranged in it from the external fields, even if the device housing in which it is installed, as already mentioned, consists at least partially of plastic. This shielding effect can in particular affect both socket contacts and pin contacts to be plugged in therewith. This is particularly advantageous because the device housings, which can be inexpensively and easily produced by injection molding and whose shape can also be adapted very flexibly to the needs of the respective application, and in particular connection boxes, which naturally have a large number of plug-in connections, reinforce a particularly good one in their particularly sensitive plug-in areas Can have shielding to avoid mutual crosstalk and against external electrical and / or magnetic fields.

In an advantageous embodiment, the plug-in sleeve essentially has a hollow-cylindrical basic shape. This is advantageous because as a result its basic shape is adapted to the inevitably round shape of its internal and external thread in a practical and material-saving manner.

Advantageously, the socket can have a continuous, preferably essentially cylindrical cavity as a receiving area. The internal thread can in particular be arranged on the inside of an internal thread section of the receiving area that slightly tapers the flea space. Even if the receiving area tapers in this section, the socket also retains its essentially hollow-cylindrical basic shape in this internally threaded section. The term “essentially hollow-cylindrical” thus includes, among other things, a hollow-cylindrical base body with the external self-tapping thread, the internal screw thread, preferably in which tapering internal thread section, the plug-side latching lug and in particular also the plug-side, conical attachment and at the opposite end preferably also the said circumferential chamfer.

In particular, the internal thread can preferably be a metric thread and particularly preferably an M12 thread, which is compatible with conventional M12 screw connectors, in particular in accordance with the standard. Of course, other thread sizes are also possible.

In an advantageous embodiment, the socket is a turned part. This means that the receptacle is preferably produced using a turning method, in particular a CNC (“Computerized Numerical Control”) turning method. The CNC process has the advantage that details such as the outer and inner radius, length and thread depth of the self-tapping external thread and the internal thread intended for screwing the screw connector can be easily adapted to the respective requirements of device construction by programming a process computer, and the manufacture of the receptacles too in small series can be automated and cost-effective. In the turning process, the undercut of the receptacle, which forms the aforesaid detent, can be produced in a much less complex manner than in the injection molding process.

In an advantageous embodiment, the plug-in sleeve has, on a plug-side end section of the plug-in sleeve, a peripheral attachment that widens conically, at least in its outer contour, towards the plug-side end of the plug-in sleeve. This serves to close the thread cut or to be cut into the plastic wall by the sleeve and is particularly suitable for connecting to the plastic wall on an end surface of the plug-in sleeve on the plug-in side complete flush, whereby the receptacle can be installed countersunk in the housing wall.

At its end opposite the plug-in side, the socket can have a circumferential outer chamfer, i.e. a circumferential outer bevel, which has a self-centering effect when the socket is inserted into the installation opening in the plastic wall, since the socket is self-centered when it is installed in the installation opening. This further increases the benefit of simplified device manufacture.

In a preferred embodiment, the plug-in sleeve is essentially in the form of a hollow cylinder.

As already mentioned, in a further preferred embodiment, the receptacle can be a turned part.

The metal socket can in particular consist of a copper alloy and/or an aluminum alloy, preferably brass.

The socket is preferably made in one piece.

A connector socket has both the socket and a contact carrier, which is arranged therein and is in particular essentially cylindrical, with at least one plug contact arranged in the contact carrier. The contact carrier can protrude into the socket, namely into the cavity of the socket.

In a preferred embodiment, the contact carrier can be arranged “floating” in the socket, and thus protrude into the socket without being fastened directly to the socket. this has the advantage that the construction of the device/the device housing can take place independently of design-related manufacturing tolerances of its components without resulting mechanical stresses and is thereby further simplified. The contact carrier can be a separate part.

In another preferred embodiment, the contact carrier can be designed in one piece with the plastic wall, for example as a single, joint injection-molded part.

A circular connector system has the connector socket and a circular connector as a mating connector.

It can be a. the circular connector is either a screw connector which has an external thread with which it can be screwed into the internal thread of the receptacle, or b. be a snap-in connector, which has a plurality of snap-in hooks directed outwards, with which it can be latched from the inside to the latching lug of the receptacle.

A device housing has at least one plastic wall and at least the socket built into the plastic wall, the at least one socket being screwed with its self-tapping external thread into at least one cylindrical installation opening in the plastic wall.

In this case, the plug-in sleeve can preferably be installed countersunk in the plastic wall. A method for fixing a device housing with at least one such socket has at least the following steps:

A. The device housing is formed using an injection molding process with at least one plastic wall consisting of a plastic material, wherein at least one installation opening with a cylindrical outer contour is formed in the plastic wall, and then

B. in a second step, the at least one socket is screwed into the at least one installation opening with a self-tapping external thread belonging to the socket, with the external thread of the socket cutting a mating thread in the plastic material of the plastic wall surrounding the installation opening.

In particular, in method step B, the receptacle can be screwed so deep into the plastic wall that it is installed countersunk therein.

example

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. Show it:

1a shows an essentially hollow-cylindrical socket with a self-tapping external thread in a 3D representation;

1b shows a cross-sectional representation of a connector socket, which has the socket screwed into a plastic wall, a contact carrier and plug contacts.

The figures contain partially simplified, schematic representations.

In part, for the same, but possibly not identical Elements used identical reference numerals. Different views of the same elements could be scaled differently.

FIG. 1a shows an essentially hollow-cylindrical receptacle 1, which therefore has an essentially hollow-cylindrical base body 5 with a self-tapping external thread 3. FIG. On its plug-side end, shown in the drawing above, the socket 1 has a circumferential attachment 2 on a plug-side end section, which at least in its outer contour widens conically towards the plug-side end. Furthermore, the plug-side end also has a slightly funnel-shaped inner contour (not specified ) recognizable with an adjoining undercut, which forms a circumferential locking lug 14. This circumferential locking lug 14 is used to lock a locking plug, not shown, to be inserted on the plug side (i.e. from above in the drawing), which may have locking hooks, for example, concentrically directed outwards, which engage the locking lug 14 from the inside in the locked state.

At its end opposite the mating side, which is shown in the drawing below, the essentially hollow-cylindrical socket 1 has a peripheral outer chamfer 4 for self-centering when screwing into an installation opening 60 of a plastic wall 6 shown below, e.g. B. the plastic wall 6 of a device housing.

As can be seen clearly in FIG. 1b, the receptacle 1 has a continuous cavity 10 as a receiving area. Inside this cavity 10, which is essentially cylindrical, the receptacle 1 has an internally threaded section 13 that tapers into the cavity 10. The internally threaded section 13 is arranged on the connection side, ie below the locking lug 14 in the drawing. To put it the other way around, the locking lug 14 is on the plug-in side of the internally threaded section 13, i.e. in the drawing above the Internally threaded section arranged. The internally threaded section 13 has an internal thread, not shown in the drawing, for screwing in a screw plug connector, also not shown, to be inserted on the plug side (ie from above in the drawing). For example, but not by way of limitation, the internal thread can preferably be a metric thread and in particular an M12 thread, so that a matching standard-compliant metric screw connector, and in particular an M12 screw connector, can be inserted into the socket 1 and on its Internal thread can be screwed.

Thus, the receptacle 1 is suitable both for receiving and locking a snap-in connector and for receiving and locking a screw connector.

Said self-tapping external thread 3 of socket 1 is used to install socket 1 in installation opening 60 of plastic wall 6 already mentioned. During the aforementioned installation, the self-tapping external thread 3 of the receptacle 1 cuts a counter-thread in the installation opening 60, d. H. into the plastic material of the plastic wall 6 which surrounds the installation opening 60 .

In the example shown here, the plastic wall 6 is designed in one piece with a contact carrier 7 , the contact carrier 7 protruding into the cavity 10 of the receptacle 1 . For example, the plastic wall 6 can be produced together with the contact carrier 7 as an injection molded part in a joint injection molding process. This contact carrier 7 has several passage openings as contact chambers 70, in each of which a plug contact 8 is accommodated. Each plug-in contact 8 has a plug-in area 80 and a connection area 81 and a holding section 87 arranged between them, with which it is held in the contact carrier 7. The plug-in contacts 8 shown here are socket contacts, since their plug-in area 80 is designed in the form of a socket. On the connection side, ie shown below in the drawing, its pin-shaped connection area 81 protrudes

Contact openings of a printed circuit board 9 and is electrically conductively connected at the rear to a conductor track 91 located there, e.g. soldered.

Even if different aspects or features of the invention are shown in combination in the figures, it is obvious to the person skilled in the art--unless stated otherwise--that the combinations shown and discussed are not the only possible ones. In particular, mutually corresponding units or complexes of features from different exemplary embodiments can be exchanged with one another.

Reference List

1 socket

10 cavity

13 female thread section

14 Detent 2 Attachment

3 self-tapping external threads

4 bevel

5 base body 6 plastic wall

60 installation opening

7 contact carrier

70 contact chamber

8 plug contact

80 mating area

81 connection area

87 holding section

9 circuit board

91 track

Claims

Expectations

1. Receptacle (1) for a connector socket for countersunk installation in a plastic wall (6) and suitable for receiving and screwing a screw connector to be connected to the connector socket, and also suitable for latching a snap-in connector to be connected to the connector socket, the socket ( 1) comprising: an internally threaded portion (13) having an internal thread for screwing with an external thread of the screw connector; a peripheral or interrupted, inwardly directed latching lug (14) arranged on the plug side of the internally threaded section (13) for latching with the latching plug connector, wherein the socket (1) has a self-tapping external thread (3) for installation in the plastic wall (6) and is made of metal consists.

2. Socket (1) according to claim 1, wherein the socket (1) is designed essentially as a hollow cylinder.

3. socket (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the socket (1) is a turned part.

4. socket (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the socket (1) is made in one piece and consists of brass.

5. Socket (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the socket (1) on a plug-side end section has a peripheral attachment (2) which widens conically at least in its outer contour towards the plug-side end of the socket (1).

6. socket (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the socket (1) for self-centering at its opposite end of the plug-in side has a circumferential outer chamfer (4).

7. Connector socket, which has a socket (1) according to one of the preceding claims and also a contact carrier (7) and at least one plug contact (8) arranged in the contact carrier (7), the contact carrier (7) protruding into the socket (1). .

8. Connector socket according to claim 7, wherein the contact carrier (7) is designed in one piece with a plastic wall (6), the plastic wall (6) having an installation opening (60) into which the socket (1) with its self-tapping external thread (3) is screwed in.

9. circular connector system, comprising the connector socket according to one of claims 7 to 8 and a circular connector, a. the circular connector being either a screw connector which has an external thread with which it can be screwed into the internal thread of the socket (1), or b. wherein the circular connector is a snap connector having a plurality of outward facing Has latching hooks with which it can be latched from the inside to the latching lug (14) of the receptacle (1).

10. Device housing with at least one plastic wall (6) and at least one socket (1) built into the plastic wall according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one socket (1) with its self-tapping external thread (3) in at least one installation opening ( 60) of the plastic wall (6) is screwed in.

11. Device housing according to claim 10, wherein the receptacle (1) is built into the plastic wall (6) countersunk.

12. A method for producing a device housing with at least one socket (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein

A. the device housing is formed using an injection molding process with at least one plastic wall (6) consisting of a plastic material, wherein at least one installation opening (60) with a cylindrical outer contour is formed in the plastic wall (6), and then

B. the at least one socket (1) is screwed into the at least one installation opening (60) with a self-tapping external thread (3) belonging to the socket (1), the external thread (3) of the socket (1) having a counter-thread in the installation opening (60) surrounding plastic material of the plastic wall (6) cuts.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein in method step B the socket (1) is screwed so deep into the plastic wall that the socket (1) is countersunk in the plastic wall (6) is installed.